How to achieve a tousled look

How you can achieve the ever sought after just rolled out of bed, didn't do a thing to look this hot, look.

Photo Credit: Kati Neudert

By Crystal Schwanke
During the spring and summer months, a lot of girls like to take on a carefree approach to their beauty routine and overall look. This includes flip-flops, tank tops, shorts, barely-there makeup, and tousled hair (usually waves). Styling products and tools you may need to get that much-envied fresh-outta-bed look include a volumizing mousse, root lifting spray, texturizing spray or lotion, hairdryer, an old t-shirt, and/or hair elastics. Read on to see which ones will work for you.

The simplest, no fuss way to get the tousled look is to make a few medium-to-large sized braids in damp hair and sleep on them. This works on all hair types. When you unwind them in the morning you'll have sexy waves as if you'd spent the day at the beach. If your hair has a hard time holding wave or curl, spread a dollop of mousse through your hair prior to braiding. If the waves still look too structured after you've taken the braids out, lean over and haphazardly rake your hands through your hair for a few seconds, especially near the roots to pick them back up. If needed, use a root amplifying spray on those, and blow-dry just that section.

For the silky straight-haired gals whose manes look great straight but don't take kindly to curls, a little more effort may be required. Cut up an old cotton t-shirt into strips. Put strong hold mousse in your damp hair, and then wrap up 1-2 inch sections of hair in the t-shirt strips as if they were curlers. When you reach your scalp, tie the ends of the cotton strip together to hold in place. The cotton will absorb moisture from your hair while you sleep. The next morning, untie the strips and your hair should fall into an almost-curly cascade of waves. Turn your head upside down and shake the curls to loosen them just a bit and create a more natural look. Spray on root amplifier if needed, and blow-dry the roots, lifting with your fingers as you go.

Wavy girls have it easiest. They're only one step away from tousled beauty. A texturizing spray and light scrunching is all girls with waves need. You can buy these at drugstores or salons. The spray mimics the texture of sand and salt water, leaving your hair looking like you've discovered the secret to harnessing the beach and making it do wonderful things for your hair (and maybe you have). Add root amplifier to your locks or just change your part for extra volume and sex appeal.

Girls with naturally curly hair have a couple of options. You can blow-dry your hair straight and then add texturizing spray. Or you can blow-dry your hair straight with a round brush and then do the braiding technique mentioned above. If your hair's not in total ringlets all over, you may be able to get by with just putting a smoothing hair cream on your locks to weigh down your curls enough to look more tousled than springy. Be careful to avoid making your hair look flat with too much product, though. That'll be the opposite of your desired effect.

Any hair type can pull off the tousled effect. If one of these methods doesn't work for your particular head of hair, try another. Eventually you'll succeed in looking like you've spent a week on vacation—even if you've been sitting at your desk for what seems like your whole life.